prosperous

American  

[pros-per-uhs] / ˈprɒs pər əs /

adjective

1. having or characterized by financial success or good fortune; flourishing; successful.

   a prosperous business.

   Synonyms:

   thriving

2. well-to-do or well-off.

   a prosperous family.

   Synonyms:

   rich, wealthy

3. favorable or propitious.

   Synonyms:

   auspicious, lucky, fortunate

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prosperous British  

/ ˈprɒspərəs /

adjective

1. flourishing; prospering

2. rich; affluent; wealthy

3. favourable or promising

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Usage

What does prosperous mean? Prosperous means successful, especially in a financial or material way. It can be used to describe people, groups, or institutions like businesses. The word is typically used to describe people who have achieved success in terms of wealth, health, and happiness. But it can also be used broadly, much like the words successful, thriving, and flourishing. Prosperous is based on the verb prosper, which means to be successful. You can say that someone is prospering in the present, but the word is perhaps most commonly used in the context of what will happen in the future. The word prospering can be used as an adjective to mean the same thing as prosperous. The related noun prosperity refers to a state of success. Example: If we can continue to maintain this level of quality, our company will continue to be prosperous.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprosperousness
  noun
• pseudoprosperously
  adverb
• overprosperously
  adverb
• prosperousness
  noun
• pseudoprosperous
  adjective
• superprosperous
  adjective
• nonprosperous
  adjective
• unprosperously
  adverb
• prosperously
  adverb
• nonprosperously
  adverb
• overprosperousness
  noun
• unprosperous
  adjective
• quasi-prosperous
  adjective
• unprosperousness
  noun
• overprosperous
  adjective
• quasi-prosperously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of prosperous

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prosperus

Explanation

If you have a new car, a new high-paying job, and some flashy new shoes, then you could be described as prosperous, meaning you have material success that seems like it will continue to grow. The adjective prosperous often describes a person or a person’s future, but it can apply to anything that’s experiencing growth and success. Prosperous derives from the Latin word prosperus, meaning “doing well.” Great pronouns of this happy word include golden, well-heeled, flourishing, and thriving.

Example Sentences

The conservative Prosperous Armenia party, led by businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, came fourth with 4% of the vote.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Two other opposition forces -- ex-president Robert Kocharyan's "Armenia" alliance and the Prosperous Armenia party -- also cleared the electoral threshold to get into parliament, winning 9.9 percent and four percent of the vote, respectively.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

Jeff Ferry is chief economist emeritus at the Coalition for a Prosperous America.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025

The most recent auction in May was not only undersold, but left an estimated $961 million of credits on the table, according to a report from the nonprofit Clean and Prosperous California.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

Prosperous, conventional, more like the things and people Hagar seemed to admire.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• affluent
• booming
• comfortable
• flourishing
• fortunate
• rich
• robust
• wealthy
• well-heeled
• well-off
• well-to-do